‘The Mud Walls of Kilinochchi’

by Sophia reporting from Kilinochchi


(November 25, Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Many a time, pictures and photos tell us the real situation than words. That is why the present political situation especially the ‘victory of war in Kilinochchi’ as mentioned in Sri Lankan Guardian, the picture of ‘A Sri Lankan soldier patrols as a ‘Peace’ Train carrying essential commodities to the war effected people in north of the island prepares to leave a railway station in Colombo, published on Sunday Observer, Nov. 23, 2008, a group of tiger girls getting into a vegan with the title ‘falling tigers’ photograph recently published in the Sri Lanka Guardian, the impressive topic ‘The great walls of Tigers are falling down, falling down! (a good nursery rhyme for the future generation), make me think of the history of our long disgusting lost war.

The Tamils in the North and East have experienced many war situations. The pictures of Jaffna civilians celebrating Pooneryn victory of the government Security forces’ is another picture of the Sunday Observer which makes me ponder some of the ‘victories of the mud wall fights’ of the past.


First of all, the ‘Peace’ Train carrying commodities for the displaced hungry people remind me of the quotation by Homes, ‘Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all’. Just ask a twenty year old teenager from Jaffna whether he has ever seen a train or any railway tracks?
The second picture of the tiger girls getting into a truck which has the topic ‘falling tigers’, gives me an impression that they are just ‘on the move’, and are not falling. In the picture of The Jaffna civilians celebrating, just count the number of the celebrants. It makes me clear why some of them want to cover their faces?

My feeling is that after the return of the mass exodus to Jaffna, the number of the disappearances’, the ‘chemmani grave yards’ stories’ cannot be easily be forgotten by the people. The mud wall could be easily washed off. But what kind of mud wall protected the ‘Elephant Pass’ in the past? It is good for us not to forget that the same mud which is used to make ‘walls which could be dissolved’ is used by the ants and white ants to make their dwellings hard, complicated, deep and dangerous.

‘It's way too early to know what's shaking behind the scenes. I believe someone will try to run on a third party ticket. It was just a thought; the chances are slim for a third party to win at this point. But, the way things are going, I won't be surprised to see a strong showing in three years. We have nothing to lose, we have nothing now.’ - Sri Lanka Guardian